Happily Ever After
by MildredHelper
Summary: Happy birthday, Taylor Elizabeth. I love you so much, my dear. This is a swanqueen fic divided into 5 parts. I can't really summarize it, but give it a try :) Some language here and there.


**Happily Ever After **

This is dedicated to Taylor. I love you, birthday girl with all my heart. (10-29-11). I didn't proof read because I suck so if there are any typos please just try to ignore them.

**I.**

"DO IT FOR THE VINE, REGINA!" Emma Swan-Mills called as she watched her wife scarf down her breakfast.

"What on earth is a vine, dear?" The brunette asked, wiping her mouth.

Emma moved her heavily pregnant body out of her chair and sighed.

"How do you not know these things?"

Regina laughed. "Well, I've had an entire town to run, as you well know."

Emma giggled. "Okay, you have a point, but when you're on maternity leave, I'm gonna teach you all about the interwebs."

Emma and Regina found that true love was the most powerful form of magic, and since they both wanted children, not one, but two of them were having magic babies. Regina was only about four months while Emma was eight.

"Moms!" Henry called from upstairs.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Can we go to granny's for dinner tonight?"

Regina gave Emma a "will you be up for this?" Sort of look.

"Hell yeah!" Emma called.

Regina shook her head, marveling at the woman she had married. Emma's baggy sweatpants were dragging on the floor, and her hair was to the side in a ponytail. One hand was pressed against her bump, the other to her back.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, babe, baby Cora's just being rude."

Regina smiled bittersweetly. It had been so nice of Emma to want to name their daughter after her mother, especially after how much they had been through. After Cora had stepped in front of Henry when Zelena tried to cast a curse on him, she slowly crumpled and died right in front of them, but before she went, she told Regina that she loved her. Regina couldn't help but think that the woman died a hero, and Emma agreed that Cora's memory should be honored in some fashion.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and the Blue Fairy stood there in her modern physique.

"Um hello, Blue. What are you doing here?"

"I'm volunteering at the hospital, and doctor Whale told me to come check on you."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "I told that son of a bitch that I don't want anything to do with him. We're fine, thanks. My mother opened a clinic or had you forgotten?"

Blue shifted her weight. "Right, but she's not really qualified..."

"What are you talking about, Whale got his degree from a curse!" Regina exclaimed before suddenly, the Blue Fairy grabbed her wrist, and they disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

Emma sat there motionless for a few seconds, trying to figure out what just happened. Blue told Emma and Regina that Whale had sent her, then when they started to protest, she swooped Regina off in a cloud of...green smoke.

"ZELENA!" The blonde yelled.

* * *

Meanwhile, Regina was fast asleep. She awoke when she felt a little body crawl over her before settling down and snuggling up against her side. Her eyes adjusted to the morning light coming in through the windows.

"Momma?" A little voice next to her asked sleepily.

Her eyes went wide, and she looked over to find a toddler who was the spitting image of herself.

"Emma, I told you not to wake up momma," another voice, this one deeper-a man's, said.

She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"D-Daniel?" This couldn't be real. He had died all those years ago, and along with his death, came the death of their unborn child.

"Morning, Gina. Sorry the little princess woke you up," he smiled over at her before taking in her expression. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-you're not real. This is fake oh my, I'm dreaming or Zelena made something up this can't be..." She climbed out of bed and started to pace.

"Regina, did you have a bad dream?" Daniel was concerned and picked up their daughter before going to her side.

The little girl held her hands out for her mother. "Momma."

"Is-she's ours? How?"

"Darling, you're scaring me." Daniel held their one and a half year old in his arms securely.

"This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real," Regina said aloud.

"What isn't real?" Daniel was getting frustrated.

"You died!" She screamed. "Our baby died from the stress of it all and because mother found out. Mother killed you. How can you be here?" Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away.

"Regina..." Daniel started calmly.

"I'm very much here. We ran away, and Emma came five months later. We got married, Gina."

She glanced down at her hand and noticed a very simple yet elegant ring there.

"Oh my God. This can't be happening."

"Momma," the little girl pouted.

Regina tentatively took the girl into her arms.

"No be sad. Love you," the little curly haired brunette said, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. It nearly broke her heart.

"Regina, you were dreaming. It's aright. I will protect you until the day I die. I love you, and our children, and I am very real," he took her free hand in his and led it to his heart.

She could no longer fight the tears. Could this possibly be real? Her eyes met the toddler's. It was like glancing in the mirror, and there was no doubt that the girl was her daughter but how? She had woken up the previous morning lying next to Emma, the savior, the love of her life. How was it possible that time had reversed itself? How did one rewrite the past?

"No," she said as she thought.

If Zelena had taken the baby from Emma and used the product of true love to cast a curse, anything was possible. She sighed heavily, wondering how this had happened. Was it possible that she would never see her wife and son again? It hurt her to even think about. It couldn't be so, she would find a way. True love always won, didn't it?

* * *

Back in Storybrooke, Emma was trying to figure out what happened to her wife. It had to be Zelena. That was the only possible explanation, but where had she taken her and why? Naturally, Emma went to Gold for help, taking Henry with her, just in case Zelena was lurking nearby.

"I have reason to believe that Zelena is keeping your spouse in an alternate universe. It will take time for me to develop the potion, but I believe that I'll be able to make one that allows you to infiltrate the alternate world and take your wife back," Gold said.

"But all magic comes with a price, Gold. What the hell do you want?"

Belle came up behind Gold and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Um-nothing. Just come back in about four weeks."

"Four weeks?!" Emma was due in eight.

"Sorry dearie, these things take time."

Emma thought the imp was full of it, but who was she to tell him how to make a potion?

"Come on, kid. We'll get Mom back soon."

**II. **

The weeks passed, and Regina was beginning to accept her situation. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had fallen completely in love with Daniel all over again. Her daughter adored her, and Regina found herself watching the little girl sleep, marveling at her perfect features. On top of everything, she was beginning to show and had even started to feel the baby move inside her. It terrified her because she knew that the child was Emma's. Emma. She missed her wife and Henry more than anything, but this was her life now.

"Gina, come back to bed," Daniel whispered in her ear, tilting her chin up before pressing his lips to hers.

She smiled and crawled back under the covers, enjoying the way he spooned up against her back and rested one of his arms across her abdomen.

* * *

"Is it ready yet?" Emma waddled into Gold's shop four weeks later to the day.

"Yes. Now I ordinarily wouldn't care, but are you sure that you want to be the one to go, Miss Swan?"

"Yes. She'll see me and come home with me," Emma adjusted her coat before taking the potion from Gold.

"For getting home," he handed her another bottle.

"Thank you."

"Bring her back, dearie...and be careful," the imp added.

The potion made it possible for Emma to see where her beloved was, and when she concentrated hard enough, she was transported there. She didn't know what to expect, but a quaint little cottage in the woods was not what she was expecting.

"What the hell?" She asked, walking around the side of the house where a man was shoveling snow.

"Who the hell are you?" Daniel asked.

"I-I came for my wife, Regina," she stammered.

"I don't know who you are, but you stay away from my wife," Daniel said in a dangerously low tone.

"I..." Emma tried to say something, but he hit her with his shovel. She quickly threw off her coat and looked down at her stomach which was turning a color somewhere in between black and blue.

The man's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry I didn't know of your condition..."

Emma brushed him off and walked up the steps.

"Gina?!" She called, worried what the man behind her might do next.

Regina froze.

"Emma?"

"I'm right here, momma," her daughter said.

"Not you, sweetheart," she put the girl down and opened the front door. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Emma."

"Babe," Emma couldn't hold back the tears.

The brunette's eyes locked on Daniel. "It's okay."

She noticed them Emma was holding her side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she let out a shaky breath.

"Is it the baby?" Regina was at her side in seconds.

"No. It's nothing. Babe, I want you to come home. I miss you like crazy."

"I can't just leave Emma," she said softly.

"I'm right here, babe."

"No, my-my..." The little girl peered out the door before running into a pile of snow in her attempt to get to her mother.

That's when Emma realized Regina was barefoot and standing in the snow.

"Babe, you're gonna freeze."

Regina picked up the little girl and balanced her on her hip before giving Daniel a warning look and leading Emma into the cottage.

Emma sat down in a rocking chair as Regina sat on the floor holding her-daughter close to her.

"This isn't real, Gina."

"Yes it is!" Daniel yelled.

"Daniel, please, she was talking to me."

The man crossed his arms over his chest.

Emma took a shaky breath before continuing. "Zelena brought you to an alternate universe. I think it's obvious now what her intention was."

Regina put her head in her hands. "None of this is real?"

"They're somewhat a figment of your imagination. It's something you want more than anything. I think your sister was trying to tear us apart," Emma winced again at the painful bruise on her abdomen. She was just relaying what Gold had told her.

The brunette took a few moments to process this, drowning out what Daniel was trying to tell her and his desperate pleas for her to stay.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. How could I ever believe that this was real?" She asked sadly before going to get her coat and shoes.

"Where go, momma?" Little Emma asked.

"Regina don't leave. You can't."

"Don't tell me what I can't do," Regina was crying as she pulled the little girl in for a hug.

"Just say bye bye. I'll see you again before you know it," Regina whispered, knowing that she would see them in heaven.

"No mom-ma, no go!" Emma wailed and clung to her mother.

Regina motioned for Emma to go ahead on out as she dealt with Daniel.

"Please don't make this any harder than it is. Just kiss me," she said, but he turned away from her and took Emma.

"Mom-ma!"

She had never cried so hard before, but she knew that she had to get back home. This place wasn't real no matter how much she wanted it to be.

"Hey babe," Emma pulled the second potion bottle out of her bag and handed it to her wife after taking a hearty swig.

In a matter of minutes, they were home.

**III. **

"Mom!" Henry shouted and ran up to his mother, trying not to attack her but hugging her as hard as he could.

More tears sprung to her eyes as he rested his head against her chest, and she ruffled his hair.

"D-did you miss me?"

"Uhuh," he started to cry.

Emma stood there for a few seconds just watching before Regina reached a hand out and touched her wife's shoulder. "I missed you, Gina," she cried.

"I miss-I missed you t-too, dear," the brunette loosened her grip on her son and leaned in, touching her lips to Emma's.

Henry reluctantly left his mother's side. "You guys probably want to be alone, huh?" He was growing up and starting to understand these sorts of things. Regina pulled him back in for another hug before he headed upstairs.

She wiped at her eyes before facing her wife. Her arm snaked around Emma's stomach, and the blonde whimpered. "Emma, what is it?" Regina asked.

"N-nothing," the woman was clearly fighting back additional tears.

The mayor's brown eyes studied her wife up and down before she tentatively reached out and lifted up the savior's shirt. A gasp escaped her lips as she took in the nasty bruise. "What happened?"

Emma turned away. "D-Daniel, he attacked me when I said I was looking for you," she didn't want to admit it because Regina remembered the man as being kind and gentle, and it hadn't been the same man that she once knew.

"Do you feel alright?" Regina lightly traced the bruise with her finger.

"Yeah, it's fine, babe. It'll heal. I-I'm so glad that you're home."

_Home._ Home was where she was loved and felt secure. In a way, she had been home for the last month, but as she glanced at her wife, she decided that home was wherever Emma and Henry were.

"I am too, dear. I love you."

"I love you too."

Later that night, Emma woke up to Regina sobbing quietly into her pillow. "Babe, it's okay," she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"I-I'm fine," Regina mumbled as Emma rubbed her back.

"Just let it all out."

The brunette cried for awhile before somewhat composing herself.

"I love you, but I-I wished that..." She bit her lip. "I wished it was real."

"I know, baby." Emma couldn't imagine how her wife must be feeling.

"Just hold me," Regina cried, and Emma did as she was asked.

**IV.**

Around four months later, Emma watched her wife sleeping with their infant daughter on her chest. Henry came down the stairs, and Emma put a finger to her lips, letting him know to be quiet. He smiled at her, looking over at his mom who was completely passed out. Cora started to cry unexpectedly, and the blonde made her way toward the baby.

"Hey, shh, it's okay." Regina's eyes fluttered open as her wife lifted the tiny girl off of her chest.

The brunette blinked a few times, watching as her wife calmed down their daughter. Slowly, her hand reached into her bra, and she pulled out her phone. "Do it for the vine, Emma!" She whispered which made Henry laugh.

Emma put Cora's cheek to hers and smiled before blowing a kiss to the camera. The brunette smiled before putting her phone away only to have it vibrate seconds later. "Hello?" She asked, having not recognized the number.

"Regina?"

"M-mother?" The color drained from Regina's face. She had watched her mother die and buried her. This had to be another one of Zelena's schemes, but several months ago, Gold had defeated her. Hadn't he?

"Yes, Regina. I'm back, darling."

She wanted to believe, but she was having a hard time doing so.

"How?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but true love's kiss."

Cora arrived at the house a few minutes later, and Regina waddled over to the door, not believing that her mother was really there.

"Regina, you...you look beautiful," the older woman pulled her daughter in to her arms.

Regina couldn't help but start to cry. "Mother, this better be you. I've had my share of things that seem too good to be true and aren't real."

Cora smiled. "It's very much me, dear. R-Rumple brought me back."

"What the hell?" Emma came into the room with the baby in her arms, Henry behind her.

"Grandma?" Henry asked uncertainly.

"Yes, my boy, it's me. Rumple kissed me, and now I'm here."

"So..." Emma cleared her throat. "Are you guys like a thing?"

"No. He has Belle, and I've since converted to lesbianism. I find it...tickles my fancy a bit more if you catch my drift."

"Oh my God," Emma laughed as Cora's eyes took in the baby.

"And who's this?"

Regina couldn't help but soften at her mother's words. She wanted this to be real so much it pained her. "Her name is Cora, mother."

"R-really? After me?"

"No, after the other Cora," Emma said sarcastically.

"Of course after you, mother."

"May I hold her?"

Regina hesitated. If this was an imposter planning to take their baby daughter, wouldn't they have taken her already?

"Um yes, yes you may," Regina took the baby from Emma and handed her to her mother.

"Hi there, little girl. You look just like your mommy, don't you?" She smiled over at Emma.

Emma couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh," Regina gasped suddenly, gripping the counter.

"Babe?"

"It's a little early, Emma," the brunette breathed, her concern easily noticeable.

"We'll just get you to the hospital in case."

They all piled into the minivan, and several hours later Regina was told to push.

"I fucking can't!" She screamed, squeezing Emma's hand so tightly that she almost broke it.

Cora laughed at her daughter's language before looking over at Emma. "Allow me, dear."

Emma smiled in thanks, pulling her hand out of Regina's vice grip.

"Regina, you are having this baby whether you want to or not," Cora explained calmly. "You have done an amazing job now you need to push. So don't make me become who I once was because I have no problem switching into bitch mode."

Regina screamed and cried until finally her cries weren't the only ones in the room. She let out a sigh before craning her neck to see the baby as Emma cut the cord.

"A boy..." She whispered before he was whisked away. He was a little early so they were making sure that his lungs were working.

"I know you could do it, babe," Emma smiled and leaned down to kiss her wife before looking over at Cora.

"I'm so proud of you, Regina."

"I-I love you, mother," the brunette breathed out exhaustedly before craning her neck to see her son.

Some nurses cleaned her up and a few minutes later, he was placed in her arms and the tears started up again. She kissed his forehead before whispering softly in his ear. "I love you."

Emma started to cry too before going to get Henry. "Hey you want to meet your brother?" She asked, and he nodded eagerly. She took the baby carrier in her left hand, looking down at her sleeping princess before following her son.

"What are we going to name him?" Emma asked after the family had bonded for a little while.

Regina froze. "I always assumed that we would name him Daniel, but after what happened..." She looked at Emma.

"Babe, that wasn't him. That was a crazy AU."

"AU?"

Cora facepalmed. "Alternate Universe? Get with the times, Regina."

They all laughed, and it looked like the Evil Queen just might get her happy ending after all.

**V. **

A year later, Regina and Emma were walking hand in hand on the beach, a baby on each of their hips as Henry and Cora goofed off and splashed each other in the water. Regina grinned at Emma before reaching into her mommy bag and pulling out her phone. She opened the vine app with one hand.

"DO IT FOR THE VINE!" She called just as Cora and Henry looked at each other before charging at her. She set Daniel down, and her son and mother picked her up by her arms and legs and swung her a few times before tossing her into the ocean.

She couldn't help but smirk as she came up for air.

"DO IT FOR THE VINE!" Emma mocked as she set baby Cora down, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

Regina swam to shore and ran up the beach. When she came up to her wife, the first thing she did was toss Emma's floppy hat off to the side before completely surprising everyone and picked the blonde up bridal style. She threw her into the ocean before glancing behind her. Cora and Henry were building sandcastles with the babies. She giggled as her wife's head emerged from the water.

"YOLO!" Regina called before diving in and swimming over to Emma.

Emma pretended to be mad but wasn't very convincing.

"Kiss me," she whispered, and Regina didn't need to be told twice.

"I love you."

"And I you. I guess I do get a happy ending, huh?"

"DO IT FOR THE VINE!" Cora called, holding her namesake in the crook of her left arm.

The blonde looked at the brunette before wrapping her arms around her wife's neck and kissing her deeply.

"GOD BLESS!" Cora yelled, and the couple laughed before coming out of the water and drying off.

"Thank you for being my happy ending," Regina told her family.

Just then, Snow and Charming rode up the beach on a white horse. "I brought chocolate," Snow called, and everyone smiled.

"I love our crazy mixed up family," Emma murmured.

"Me too."


End file.
